Bottle-stopper



' Patented lune I3, |899.

M 5. 8 8. 6 2 6 nu N (N0 Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

LE\VIS II. BROOME, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

BOTTLE-STOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,885, dated June 13,1899.

Application filed November 28, 1898. Serial No. 697,57dr (No model.)

T0 all whom, it nul/y concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS H. BECOME, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Jersey City, in the county of [Iudson and State of NewJersey, have invented an Improvement in Bottle-Stoppers, ot' which thefollowing is a specification.

Bottle-Stoppers have heretofore been made with a bail-wire and lever forpressing the bottle-stopper into the mouthof the bottle, and upon thelower side of the stopper a plug of rubber has been provided to make atight joint, and in some instances a thin plate of aluminium or othermetal has been employed upon the inner end of -the rubber stopper tolessen the area of contact between the rubber and the liquid in thebottle. The metal stopper has been provided with a loop, through whichthe bail-wire passes freely, and hence such loop will allow the stopperto slide upon the bail-wire when disconnected from the botile, and thereis nothing to hold the stopper in position upon the bail-wire, so thatwhen the bail is returned over the mouth of the bottle the stopper willbe in the correct position. In my present improvement I avail of theelasticity of the rubber of the stopper to hold the stopper in positionupon the bailwire, so that it is not liable to slip along on thebail-wire, but will constantly retain its position upon such bail-wirewhen the bottle is open.

In carrying out this invention a rubber of substantially ordinarycharacter is made use of, and a plate of aluminium or other suitablemetal serves to protect the liquid contents of the bottle from contactwith the rubber, and this plate also receives through it a Wireconnection for the bail-wire, that terminates in an eye, loop, or hook,and there is a cap or plate intervening between the bail-wire and therubber, the parts being constructed in such a manner that the rubber hasto be compressed in order to introduce the bail-wire through the eye,loop, or hook, and hence there is a constant friction exerted betweenthe eye, loop, or hook on one side of the bailwire and the plate thatintervenes between the bail-wire and the rubber stopper. In this mannerthe friction is sufficient to hold the stopper in its correct positionupon the bailwire, and the metal plate of aluminium or similar materialthat intel-venes between the rubber and the contents of the bottle isheld in position by the Wire that passes up and terminates as an eye,loop, or hook.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section illustrating thebail-wire, stopper, and

intervening plate. Fig. 2 is a section at right angles to Fig. l of thestopper, illustrating a different-shaped plate. lFig. 3 shows the rubberin the condition of its manufacture as expanded and slightly thickerthan it is shown in either Figs. 1 or 2, and Fig. 4 is a plan view ofthe ornamental sheet of celluloid.

The bail A is connected by any suitable lever to the neck-band aroundthe bottle, and these parts do not form any portion of the presentinvention. The rubber stopper B is adapted to tightly iill the neck ofthe bottle, and the protecting-plate C is circular and of a sizeslightly smaller than the mouth or interior of the neck of the bottle,so as to protect the contents of the bottle as much as possible fromcontact with the rubber of the stopper, and .the wire D passes throughthe rubber and through the protecting-plate C, and has a head 2 at oneend below the plate C and a hook, eye, or loop 3 at the upper end ofsuch wire, through which the bail-wire A passes, and E represents astopper-plate having a mortise through it for the eye, hook, or loop 3to pass freely through, and the length of the wire D is such that thestopper-plate E has to be pressed firmly upon the rubber C to compressthe same sufficiently for the wire bail A to be passed throughithe loop3, and the expansion of the rubber after compression applies a frictionby the loop 3 and the stopper-plateE upon the bail to prevent thestopper slippin g freely endwise upon the bail, and thereby the stopperis held upon the bail in the proper position for-closing theneck of thebottle when the bail is thrown up into position.

In Fig. 2 the stopper-plate E is represented with a head 4, there beinga transverse opening through the stopper for the passage freely of thebail-wire A. This stopper-plate and head may .be integral and of anysuitable material, such as metal or porcelain, as the present inventionis available with a stopper and head, substantially such as shown in myPatent, No.615,606, dated December 6, 1898, there IOO being a layer ofrubber or other elastic material between the cork and the stopper heador cap, so that the elasticity of the rubber can be availed of inholding the stopper head or 'cap from sliding endwise upon thebail-Wire.

It is advantageous to pierce the rubber stopper for the passage of theWire D in order that the rubber mayclose tightly around such wire, andthus prevent the possibility of leakage at this point, and the head maybe formed upon the Wire either before or after being passed through therubber stopper and through the protecting-plate.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination with the bail-wire and therubber stopper, of a stopper-plate resting upon the rubber, aprotecting-plate at the inner end of the rubber stopper and a Wirepassing through the protecting-plate and' having an eye or loop at theupper end through which l the bail-Wire passes, the length of such wirebeing such that the rubber is compressed in putting the parts togetherso that there is a I constant friction upon the bail-wire to hold thestopper in position upon suoli bail-Wire when the stopper is removedfrom the bottlemouth, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with the stopper and the bail, of a stopper-platebetween the bail- Wire and the stopper and elastic material in thestopper and a Wire connected at one end with the stopper and having aneye, or loop at the other end through which the bail-Wire passes, theelastic material of the stopper be= ing Compressed sufficiently forapplying a friction to the bail-Wire and holding the stopper in positionupon the bail-Wire, substan tiaily as set forth.

3. The combination with the hollow rubber stopper and a bail-Wire and aplate or cap resting upon the rubber stopper, of a connection passing upfrom the rubber stopper and extending over the bail-wire, so that therubber is slightly compressed, and a friction applied to the bail-Wireto hold the stopper in position on said bail-Wire, substantially as setforth.

Signed by me thisj23d day of November,V

L. H. BROOME.

Vtitnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, S. T. HAVILAND.

